Package-banding machine



July 24, 1928. 1,677,941

C. 8. WEEKS PACKAGE BANDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 13, 1923 5Sheets-Sheet l July 24, 1928. 1,677,941

c. s. WEEKS PACKAGE BANDING MACHI NE Original Filed Sept. 13, 1923 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Jufiy 24, 1928. 1,677,94B

c. 5. WEEKS PACKAGE BANDING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 15, 1923 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. WEEKS, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY- MESNEASSIGN- MEN TS, TO THE GERRARD COMPANY, INC., OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA, A. COR- PORA'IION OF DELAWARE.

PACKAGE-BANDING MACHINE.

Original application filed September 13, 1923, Serial No. 662,464.Divided and this application filed May 15, 1924. Serial No. 713,418.

This invention is a tension means for package banding machines.

This application is a division of a prior application filed by meSeptember 13, 1923, Serial No. 662,464, for a package banding machine.

In this invention a band, such as a wire, is applied under tension to apackage, and a salient feature of said invention consists in holding orretaining said band under tension independently of the action of thetensioning means and during the subsequent operation or operations ofsecuring or fastening the band while it remains under tension. This newstep of holding or retaining the band under tension independently of theaction of the tensioning means contributes to the performance of anadditional function i. e. that of returning the operating member of thetensioning means to a normal position convenient to the operator forapplying pressure to said operating member for the purpose of holdingthe machine steadily in place upon the package and in the requiredrelation to the hand during the aforesaid subsequent operations offastening or securing said band.

My invention is characterized by a tensioning means of novelconstruction, wherein two members are operated conjointly for pullingthe band in opposite directions at one and the same time, thusdistributing the strain on the band, facilitating the take-up of slackin said band, and placing that amount of tension on said band requiredto compress or bind the package and to embed said .band in the cornersof said package, it being desirable in this art to so tightly apply theband as to preclude its dislodg'ment when shrinkage occurs in therelatively soft and inexpensive wood composing the box or case. In thepreferred form, the tension means embodies a single shaft, a pluralityof rockers or heads carried by said shaft 9 id around which the band isstrained upon the rotation of the shaft in one direction, and means onsaid rockers or heads for the attachment or anchorage of the respectiveend portions of said band. The rockers or heads are positioned at therespective sides of a band-securing or fastening means, and they turn onan axis parallel to the throat or slot within which are trained orpositioned parallel parts of the band the major part of WhICh PZISSQSaround the package, as a resultof which the turning movement of theshaft and saidrockers pull on the end portions of the band in directionsat a right angle to the looped part of said band, and, irthermore, sa dtwo rockers pull the end portions of said band in opposite directions atthe same time. The shaft and rockers are turned by a suitable operatingmember in the form of a lever arm, adapted to be operated by hand 111'3.manner to turn the rockers for an in.- definite distance I so that it isWithin the power and judgment of the operator to ap- 1 ply strain to theband until the required tension is applied thereto, at and subsequent towhich stage in the process of applying tension to' the band the latteris held or restrained from retrograde movement by the action of thehereinbefore mentioned holdmg or retaining means.

A further feature of the invention consists of a band-holding meansespecially designed for use in conjunction with a preformed and deformedwire adapted to serve as a package band, said means including aplurality of dogs, one of which is fixed relatively to the other, andthe latter being pivoted and spring actuated for movement with respectto. the fixed dog, whereby the dogs'areadapted to be openedautomatically to facilitate the introduction of the deformed band, andsaid dogs are adapted for engagement with shoulders of said deformedwire band for holding the latter effectively against slippage under thetension applied to said band. The described holding dogs are carried byone ofthe rockers or heads, and they are so positioned that the deformedend portion of the wire band is thrust easily into the holding devicewhile the wire band (composed of a length of straightened wire) standsin a position outwardly from the machine, ithus facilitating theoperation of initially inserting the wire band and anchoring it by thecooperating dogs on one of the rockers or heads of said tension means.

Other functions and advantages of the invention will appe": from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein"Figure l is a plan view of my tension means in conjunction with a wiretying machine of my prior application.

Figure 2 is an elevation looking at the left side of the machine withthe tension means in normal position to receive an end of the band.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the tension means rotated agiven distance for placing tension on the, band.

Figures 4 and 5 are views looking at the right side of the machine withthe tension means in the positions corresponding respectively to Figures2 and 3.

Figure 6 is substantially a vertical section on the line 66 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a horizontal section on the line 77 of Fi ure 6.

Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views of the tension means in differentoperative positions thereof.

Figures 10 and 11 are perspective views of the anchor blocks.

The machine frame A includes a base plate a and short posts I) for ahorizontal shaft B. Bearing plates 6 are secured to the base between theposts b, and these plates support a twister'pinion G, operated by a gearsegment 0 to which movement. is 11npartcd by an'operating lever P.Slotted plates D E are fixedly attached to the machine frame, and withsaid plates co-ope rate the cutters Q R held in position by springs qand adapted to be operated by the studs 7, which are carried by the gearsegment At one side of the throat d, and at a suitable distance from it,a band-directing member F is provided on the bed plate 0, either casttherewith or made in a separate piece, and attached thereto. Thisdirecting memher is shown as having a curved face f in advance of astraight face f with which coacts a gripping face 7 on one of thebandholding dogs G. Said dog is positioned upon a part of the directingmember F for movement in a horizontal plane, the direction of saidmovement being toward or from the faces f f of the directing member F.The dog is pivoted on a stud g and normally said dog is impelled towardthe member F by a spring gif the latter being housed within a recess ofthetlog.

Another band-directing member H is provided on the bed plate, the samebeing positioned on the opposite side of the throat d from the describedmember F. This member H is likewise provided with a curved face it and astraight face it for contact with a part of the band, said member Hbeing provided with an upstanding lug k against which is fitted a secondholding dog I, the latter being in overhanging relation to a fiat faceof directing member H. This dog is mounted for movement in a verticalplane, the direction of said movement being toward or from the fiathorizontal face of the member H, said dog being fitted for pivotalmovement on a stud 91 fast with the lug [L2, and being actuated by aspring 2" concealed within a recess of the dog.

The tension means for a wire band includes the shaft B and a pluralityof rockers 01' heads J, K, each rocker being provided with means for theattachment thereto of the wire band. A single shaft B is provided forcarrying the two rockers or heads, said shaft B being positionedhorizontally and at a suitable elevation above the bed plate, rearwardlyof the throat (Z in the machine frame.

The shaft is journaled for free rocking movement in the bearings Z) ofthe posts I), and the end portions of this shaft protrude beyond thebearings I), see Figure 4, for the reception of the rockers or heads.Each rocker or head is shown as a single casting, with a sleeve j, anarcuate face j, a rib or flange adjacent said arcuate face, and a lug 70for the accommodation of the band gripper. The sleeves of the tworockers are fitted on the protruding ends of the shaft, to which shaftthe rockers are made fast in asuitable way as by the screws 70 Therockers are positioned at opposite sides of the throat d, and thetwister pinion C, and in a plane rcarwardly of the same, said rockersturning on an axis afforded by shaft B parallel to the length of thethroat d. One of the rockers, as J, is provided with a socket Z for thereception of a hand lever L provided with a grip Z, whereby the lever isarranged to be grasped conveniently by one hand of the operator so as torotate shaft B and the two rockers.

As a means for attaching a binder to the rocker J, it is provided with agripper, one form of which is indicated at M. This gripper may be of anyconstruction suitable for the purpose, and it may be constructed to holda fiat wire band, or a plain round wire, or a plain round wire band, ora band of any form. Said gripper in one embodiment of the invention isadapted for receiving and holding a deformed end portion y (see Figure7) of a preformed band Y, the latter being composed of a single piece ofstraightened wire the length of which is suitable for passing around thecase or box Y. Said gripper, designated in its entirety by letter M, iscarried by the lug 7c of rocker J, and it comprises a fixed dog m and amovable dog m, the two dogs being relatively inclined to produce atapering space into which and through which the shouldered deformed endof the wire band is adapted to be thrust so as to contact with saidinclined faces and to automatically open the gripper M to the end thatthe mere act of thrusting the wire band into the gripper will result inthe engagement of the dogs with the shouldered and deformed Wire ill soas to lock said wire to the rocker J. and preclude any slipping of thewire relatively to the rocker when tension is applied to said wire band.The dog 1):. ol' the band gripper is shown as comprising a piece ofhardened metal fixedly attached to the lag is of the rocker. The otherdog m consists likewise of a, new of hardened metal, which is attachedpivotally to the lug k of rocker J ya stud 11 and with the said pivoteddog coacts a spring m, the tension of which presses the nose of dog mtoward and into contact with the nose of the fixed dog m. The two dogscomposing the gripper M for the deformed wire turn with the rocker Jwhen a partial rotation is given thereto by the shaff l"), and saidgripper thus co-opcrates with the rocker in pullin the Wire band aroundthe arcuate face y of said rocker J, the wire hand sliding freelyagainst the faces of the directing member F and past the serrated faceof the holding dog G, see Figure 7. Although the rocker .l is shown anddescribed as having a gripper M for a deformed wire, it. is apparentthat said gripper may be used for the attachment of a. plain wire orband to the rocker, and, fm-ther,-that the gripper may be modified andaltered so as to be useful in fixedly attaching any kind of band or wireto the rocker.

The other rocker K is provided on its lug I: with suitable means for theattachment of one end portion of the wire or band, said attaching meansbeing shown as one or a plurality of studs n fixed to the lug 7c andaround which the end portion of the wire is adapted to be looped. SeeFigure 5. The end portion of the wire Y is thus adapted to be fastenedfixedly to the rocker K, so that on the rotation thereof the wire ispulled intocontact with the areuate face j of said rocker K, the. wiresliding freely with reference to the guiding faces of plate H andslipping past the. serratedgripping face of the holding dog I, seeFigure 5.

The operation is as follows: The machine is placed upon a case or boxYadjacent the position to be occupied by the wire band to be appliedthereto, the two levers L P lying rearwardly of the twister, see Figures1, 2 and 3. A piece of straightened wire of the proper length to passaround the package, and preferably a wire Y with a deformed end 1 isselected, and said deformed end portion is thrust between the guidingfaces of directing member F and dog G until said deformed end passesbetween the dogs m m of the gripper M carried by the roeke" J, whereuponthe wire is pulled forwardly until the shoulders of said wire areengaged by said dogs. for which forward movement of the wire it isnecessary for the ope 'ator to release the dog G from contact with thewire by pressing on the upstanding finger piece provided on said dog G.At the preliminary manipulation of the wire band, it extends in astraight condition out wardly from the |uachine,.:uul it is easilyinserted between the members F (l for locking engagement with thegripper M, it being noted that the rocker J in the idle position thereofpresents the gripper M into the path of the shouldered wire and that theparts F G act to direct the wire in a path 7 which insures theintroduction of said shouldered part of the wire into the gripper M,

the engagement of the gripper dogs m m with the shoulders of the wirebeing semiautomatic.

The wire having becninserted and held by the gripper in the rocker J,the operator next proceeds to bend said wire around the curved face f ofthe directing member F, and to pass the wire below the knife Q, through8 the slot in plate 1), into the threat 3 of the machine and the slot inthe twister pinion C, and the slot of plate E and below the knife ll.The wire is now passed around the package to produce the .loop shown inFigures 1, 7, 8, t) and 1t), and to position two parts, 3 7 of said wireinto parallel relation, the part 3 being arranged to pass through theslots of plates D, E, the slot of the twister pinion, and below theknives Q, R, whereupon said wire part 11 is bent around the curved faceof the directing member H, passed below the other holding dog I, andbent upwardly around the holding stud n of the rocker K. The respectiveparts 3 31 of the wire band are thus held by the gripper M and the studa into fixed relation to the rockers, J, K, of the tension mechanism,with the parallel parts 11 1 in the slotted plates and the twister. Theoperator now 105 grasps the two levers L l with his hands, and appliespressure with one hand on lever 1 to hold the machine steadily in placewhile he pulls upwardly and forwardly with the other hand on lever L,the ell'ect of which 110 is to turn the shaft 13 and the rockers J K toan extent determined by the operator for applying the tension requiredto the wire loop, the operations of tensioning the wire being depictedclearly in Figure 8. It will 115 be noted that the respective ends ofthe parallel parts 10 y of the wire loop extend around the directingmembers F It at substantially a right angle to the plane of the loop,and that these ends of the respective parallel parts e/ 1 are pulled bythe rota tive motion of the rockers in a direction at right angles tothe plane of the loop, one rocker J pulling on the wire in one directionlengthwise of the loop, whereas the rocker K pulls on the wire in theother direction lengthwise of the loop, see Figure 8, the cffeet ofwhich is to strain the wire equally by pulling in tWo directions,thereby taking up the slack and placing tension on the wire 9 by anexpeditious operation. During the pull on the wire, the dogs (i I. turnsufliciently for the wire to slip past them, but when the strain ceases,the serrated faces of the dogs G I have gripping engagement with thewire to preclude any retrograde movement thereof, whereby the loopedwire is held under tension by the gripping action of the dogs G I. Thesedogs hold the loop under tension independently of the rockers J, K, andthe tension means. The lever L is now moved rearwardly to the idleposition shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, which movement turns the rockersJ, K, in a direction reversed to their movement when tensioning thewire, and at this time the wire adjacent the deformed part 7 slips idlythrough the gripper M, see Figure 9, and

. that part of the wire wrapped on the stud n is slackened up to the dogI, whereby the return to normal of the tension means renders the lever Lavailable for applying pressure on the machine for holding it steadilyin place during the succeeding operations of twisting the wire and ofcutting surplus material from the ends of the loop. At this stage of theoperation, the wire composing the loop is held by the dogs G I under tension around the Package, see Figure 8. Both levers L P being rearwardlyof the twister, the operator presses downward with one hand on lever I4,and pulls upwardly and forwardly on lever P with the other hand, therebyrotating the gear segment and the twister pinion, the effect of which isto intertwist the parallel parts y, 3 of the wire, said parallel wireparts being held from rotative movement around each other by the wallsof the slots in plates D E. The twists having been completed by therotation of the twister to its required position, the studs 1" of thegear segment are in contact with the upper ends of the knives Q, R, andby applying pressure to the lever P the gear segment is turned a certainangular distance so as to forcibly actuate the cutters and sever therespective parallel parts 7 g adjacent the twists, cutting surplus wirefrom the completed loop while allowing such surplus wire to remainattached to the gripper M and stud n of the rockers J, K.

After cutting surplus wire from the ends of the loop, the pressure isrelaxed on lever P, whereupon the spring-actuated knives Q R act toraise lever P slightly, thereby returning the slotted pinion C to anopen position, and the machine is then shoved bodily in a rearwarddirection by pushing on the lever P, thus displacing the machine fromthe loop, the twisted portion slipping out of the slotted pinion, andthethroat of the machine, the loop remaining in place on the package. Onesevered part of the wire cut from the loop is pulled through the gripperM and dog G, whereas the other severed part of the wire is detached fromthe stud and pulled out ,of dog I, these operations being easilyperformed to place the machine in condition for a'subsequent operation.

In order to reduce the frictional contact between the wire band and the"directing members F II, it is permissible to use frictional rollswhcrethe band of the wire is madeParound the curved faces f h, it beingapparent that two friction rolls may be substituted for the curved facesI h of members F H at the places where the wire bends ll order to leadsaid wire from the throatg-cl of the machine to the gripping devices onthe rockers J K of the tension device.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a package banding machine, tension means including a plurality ofmembers turnable on an axis substantially parallel to the plane of alooped band, said members being provided with means for the attachmentof the respective end portions of said looped band, means for turningsaid members concurrently whereby the members cooperate for tensioningsaid band, and handholding means separate from said turnable members andengageable with said looped land for retaining said band under tension.

2. In a package banding machine, tension means including a plurality ofpulling members turnable on an axis substantially parallel to the planeof a looped band, and means for turning said members whereby the loopedband is tensioned, in combination with a plurality of band-holding dogsengageable independently of the pulling mem bers with said looped bandfor holding said band under tension.

3. In a package banding machine. band tensioning means including aplurality of rockers each provided with a band holder, said rockersbeing rotatable on an axis substantially parallel to the plane of alooped band.

4.. In a package banding machine, means for positioning a looped band ina predetermined plane. and tcnsioniug means including a plurality ofrockers rotatable on an axis substantially parallel to the plane of saidlooped band.

5. In a. package banding machine, tension means including a shaft, and aplurality of heads carried by said shaft and rotatable therewith, incombination with means for positioning a looped band, the terminalportions of which are attached to the respective heads.

6. In a package banding machine. tension means including a plurality ofrockers, in combination with means for positioning a looped band, anddirecting means for the terminal portions of said looped band, wherebysaid terminal portions are turned ill) (all

out of the plane of the loop and positioned for attachment to therespective rockers.

7. In a package banding machine, tension means including a single shaftand a plurality of rockers carried by said shaft and rotatabletherewith, in combination with means for positioning a looped band forthe terminal portions thereof to be engaged by said rockers.

S. In a package banding machine, bandtensioning means including a singleshaft, a plurality of rockers carried by said shaft, each rocker beingprovided with a curved surface with which a terminal portion of a loopedband is adapted to contact, and band attaching means movable with eachrocker.

9. In a package banding machine, band tensioning means including asingle shaft, a rocker carried by said shaft, an automatic band-grippermovable with said rocker, a second rocker also carried by the shaft, anda separate band fastener movable with the second rocker.

10. In a package banding machine, bandtensioning means embodying apluralit' of members rotatable on an axis substantially parallel to theplane of a looped band and operable concurrently for tensioning said,

looped band by applying strain to the respective end portions of saidband, one of said rotatable members being provided with means engagcablewith a cross-sectionally deformed portion of a preformed band.

11. In a package banding machine, bandtensioning means embodying aplurality of members rotatable on an axis common to both members andoperable concurrently for tensioning a looped band by strain applied tothe end portions of sald band, and a gripper carried by one of saidtension members and movable relatively thereto for engagementautomatically with a band, said gripper and tension head beingco-operable for engagement with a cross sectionally deformed part of apreformed band.

12. In a package banding mach-inc. bandtensioning means including aplurality of rockers operable concurrently for pulling the respectiveend portions of a looped band,

and a band-gripper carried by one of said rockers, in combination withband-guiding means positioned in co-operative relation to each of saidrockers for directing the end portions of said looped band relatively tosaid rockers.

13. In a package banding machine, bandtensioning means including aplurality of rockers, one of which is provided with an automaticband-gripper, and said rockers being operable concurrently for pullingthe respective end ortions of a looped band, in combination with aplurality of band-guid ing devices positioned in co-operative relationto said rockers, one of said band-guiding devices being related to onerocker and to the band-gripper thereon that an end portion of said bandis initially directed into position for the engagement automaticallytherewith of said band-gripper.

14. In a package banding machine, bandtensioning means including aplurality of rockers operable concurrently for pulling the respectiveend portions of a looped band, and a band-gripper carried by one of saidrockers and operable for engagement auton'iatically with an end portionof the band when the latter is introduced ini tially to said rocker andthe band-gripper, in combination with means for directing the endportions of said looped band relatively to the rockers.

15. In a package banding-machine, bandtensioning means including asingle shaft, and a plurality of rockers spaced relatively to each otheron said shaft and turnablc therewith in pulling the respective endportions of a looped band for placing the latter under tension.

16. In a package banding machine, bandtensioning means including acontinuous shaft and a plurality of rockers spaced relatively to eachother on said shaft and rotatable therewith, said rockers being adaptedfor the attachment of the respective terminal portions of a band, incombination with band-directing members each positioned in operativerelation to one of said rockers, and band-gripping members separate fromthe rockers and acting independently of said tension means to precluderelaxation of the tension applied to said band.

17. In a package banding machine, bandtensioning means including arotatable part, and a plurality of baud-gripping dogs pivoted to saidrotatable part and movable therewith in applying tension to a band, saiddogs in the at rest position of the rotatable part beingmovablerelatively to each other for the introduction thcrebetwcen of a band andsaid dogs being actuated for engagement normally with said band duringthe rotative movement of said rotatable part.

18. In a package banding machine, bandtensioning means including arocker and a band-gripper carried by said rocker, said band-gripperembodying a plurality of dogs co-operable with a preformed shoulderedband, one of which is movable relatively to the other and both of whichare engageable with a band adapted to be inserted between said do s.

19. In a padkage banding machine, bandtensioning means including arocker and a band-gripper carried by said rocker, said band-gripperembodying a plurality of dogs, one of which is fixed and the other ofwhich is spring actuated for movement relatively to the fixed, dog, saiddogs being relatively positioned to facilitate the introduction of aband and said dogs being engageable frictionally wit-h said band.

20. In a package banding machine, tensioning means includin a pluralityof rockers, each provided with means for the attachment of an end ortionof a looped band, of a plurality of ogs engageable with said endportions of the hand, one of said dogs being movable on a vertical axisand the other dog movable on a horizontal axis and both of said dogsbeing independent of the tension means for holding the band undertension when said tension means is moved into and out of serviceposition.

21. Tension means for a package banding machine embodying a plurality ofmembers rotatable on an axis substantially parallel to the plane of alooped band, means for members,

imparting rotative movement-to said tension and band directing means fordeflecting the respective band ends at an angle to the plane of saidloopof the band.

22. Tension means for a package banding machine embodying a plurality oftension members rotatable 011-311 axis substantially parallel to theplane of a loop in a band,

means for directing the respective ends of said band in a directionsubstantially at a right angle to-the plane of said 100 and means forconcurrently actuating said tension members, wherebythe loop istensioned by applying strain to the'respective ends of said band.

In testimony whereof I have hereto signed 35 my name this 13th day ofMay, 1924.

CHARLES s. WEEKS.

